Dehring: CPL among CWI’s most valuable assets
Despite not owning 100% of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Cricket West Indies (CWI) chief executive officer Chris Dehring says the tournament remains the most successful initiative undertaken by the regional body in over a decade. “The issue of ownership from a legal, technical perspective is not the operational or effective measure of the returns that you make from anything,” he explained. “All different types of relationships can exist that are far more beneficial to owning.” He added that CWI benefits significantly from the league’s success without bearing the financial risks of full ownership.
“We probably take home, from a profit perspective, a substantial piece of the value of that event without having to risk an investment,” Dehring said. “We get an excellent return from the CPL, and it is one of our most valuable (assets). If it is not cricket, it is certainly one of our most valuable financial assets. Dehring also highlighted CWI’s continued influence over the tournament, which operates under licenses issued by the regional governing body. “Even though from a technical perspective we have some ownership, but not total ownership of that property, it is one of the family of Cricket West Indies products,” he said, noting that the CPL forms part of the domestic calendar. He revealed that CWI and CPL officials are finalizing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening collaboration and expanding opportunities.
“It is an organization that we work very closely with and will be continuing to work even more closely with in the future,” he noted. “The relationship is very important, but I would stress that the relationship is far more than ownership. It is a license… We work very closely with the management team there to deliver on the CPL product itself. Dehring reiterated that the CPL remains integral to regional cricket. “It is a part of our West Indies cricket family. It is a part of our domestic season,” he said. The league continues to expand, with the Jamaica Kingsmen set to join in 2026, while a women's tournament and involvement in the T20 Breakout League further underline its growing footprint.